I Live in Fear
1955 · Movie · 103 min · ★ 7.3 · 70% critics
An older businessman becomes consumed by fear of nuclear destruction and pushes to move his extended family to a safer place abroad. As relatives challenge his judgment in court, an outside counselor is drawn into a tense dispute that questions whether his panic is irrational—or a hard truth everyone else avoids.
Where to watch
Streaming on The Criterion Channel and Kanopy.
2 hours to watch.
Stream (included)
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Original title
- 生きものの記録
- Years
- 1955
- Release date
- 1955-11-22
- Language
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Critic score
- 70/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (121 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a serious, debate-provoking family drama with grim humor and big fears about the modern world; Not for you if you dislike courtroom disputes, slow-burn tension, or bleak themes like in Seven Samurai.
Pros: thought-provoking moral questions; tense family conflict; darkly comic moments | Cons: slow, talky pacing; emotionally heavy themes; frustrating family behavior
Themes
- obsession
- paranoia
- psychiatric hospital
- psychiatrist
- foundry
- post war japan
- japanese family
- anxiety
Cast & crew
Toshirō Mifune
as Kiichi Nakajima
Takashi Shimura
as Domestic Court Counselor Dr. Harada
Minoru Chiaki
as Jiro Nakajima
Masao Shimizu
as Yamazaki, Yoshi's husband
Eiko Miyoshi
as Toyo Nakajima
Kyoko Aoyama
as Sue Nakajima
Haruko Tōgō
as Yoshi Nakajima
Noriko Sengoku
as Kimie Nakajima
Akemi Negishi
as Asako Kuribayashi
Hiroshi Tachikawa
as Ryoichi Sayama
Directed by Akira Kurosawa